Edinburgh Named 5th most recommended World Heritage Site

Edinburgh Top 5 recommended WHS for TripAdvisor customers

The spectacular Old and New Towns of Edinburgh have been named the 5th most recommended World Heritage Site to visit by TripAdvisor travellers.

The travel website has conducted the research over two years in partnership with UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre to raise awareness of and gain travellers' support to preserve natural and cultural sites inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage list.

Adam Wilkinson, Director of Edinburgh World Heritage said: "This is fantastic news and proves that the Old and New Towns are a unique must-see destination. To be voted the fifth most recommended out of 789 sites is great, but the fact that this is the opinion of visitors makes it all the more important

“We know that tourists consistently mention Edinburgh's built heritage as a primary reason for visiting, and once here they find the architecture and sense of history the most impressive aspects of the city. This vote provides further proof of just how important the World Heritage Site is to the economy of the city, and how efforts to preserve and promote it are key to Edinburgh's future success."

Within the partnership, TripAdvisor will also donate up to $1.5 million of support to the World Heritage Centre to help monitor the conservation of the world's most important cultural and historic sites.

Nearly a quarter of a million submissions were collected in the survey, which revealed Angkor in Cambodia is the most recommended site to visit and Kasbah in Algiers is the WHS most in need of attention.

Steve Kaufer, CEO and Founder TripAdvisor said: "The fantastic response to the campaign shows that travellers have a passion for helping preserve the places that matter most and we are delighted to be able to continue to raise awareness of the World Heritage sites and collect this information on behalf of UNESCO's World Heritage Centre.”

Francesco Bandarin, Assistant Director General for Culture at UNESCO, and interim Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, said: "This valuable feedback certainly helps us and UNESCO member states better understand visitor perspectives regarding site conservation and provides useful information on how World Heritage travellers engage with the sites and their communities. We look forward to continuing the partnership with TripAdvisor on this initiative and say thank you to the travellers who have given the feedback to date."

PLEASE NOTE: It's important to note that feedback from visitors is a reflection of the visitor experience, and does not necessarily reflect the actual state of conservation of a particular site and perceived by conservation specialists.